Thinking Ahead: Is the Game Doomed to have more Ability Bloat Updates?

[RLofOBFL]

I think it will be fine for most classes if they just condensed each combo GCDs into one button. Not entirely sure what to do about healers though...

[Mysticdraggon]

I think it will be fine for most classes if they just condensed each combo GCDs into one button. Not entirely sure what to do about healers though...

that does seem like a good option. as a controller user, while playing monk, i managed to Macro all combos/weaponskills to three slots and it worked really well. it saved me six slots! obviously, this is mostly because the Monk's combo system worked somewhat differently than others. for example, you cant execute the second attack before executing first, and you cant execute the third attack without executing the second.
my Monk macros are something like this:

Name: any
/micon "(any)"
/ac "(courel weaponskill)"
/ac "(raptor weaponskill)"
/ac "(opo-opo weaponskill)"


Name: Basic Combo. consisting of basic pugilist-based weaponskills.
/micon "Snap Punch"
/ac "Snap Punch"
/ac "True Strike"
/ac "Bootshine"

Name: Earthshaking Combo. consisting of two AOE combos and One Ilm Punch.
/micon "Rockbreaker"
/ac "Rockbreaker"
/ac "One Ilm Punch"
/ac "Arm of the Destroyer"

Name: Demolishing Combo. consisting of debuff abilities upon targeted enemy.
/micon "Demolish"
/ac "Demolish"
/ac "Twin Snakes"
/ac "Dragon kick"

basically, if every combo system worked like Monk's/Pugilist's then players would be able to macro most weaponskills into a single slot and thus save a lot of space. it makes sense too, since, as a samurai, i find no use in Shifu unless i use Hakaze first, and i find no use in Kasha unless i use Shifu.

so if, for example, Samurai's combo system worked the same as monks (and of course if Meikyo Shisui opened up all combos the same way Perfect Balance does), my macros would look something like this:

/micon "Kasha"
/ac "Kasha"
/ac "Shifu"
/ac "Hakaze"

/micon "Gekko"
/ac "Gekko"
/ac "Jinpu"
/ac "Hakaze"

/micon "Yukikaze"
/ac "Yukikaze"
/ac "Jinpu"

/micon "Mangetsu"
/ac "Mangetsu"
/ac "Fuga"

/micon "Oka"
/ac "Oka"
/ac "Fuga"

which would ultimately save me up to 4 slots within my first set!

this would certainly fix the issue in terms of classes that have combos, but as you have already mentioned, other classes that barely have combos need to find its own solution.

[Dzian]

so if, for example, Samurai's combo system worked the same as monks (and of course if Meikyo Shisui opened up all combos the same way Perfect Balance does), my macros would look something like this:

/micon "Kasha"
/ac "Kasha"
/ac "Shifu"
/ac "Hakaze"

/micon "Gekko"
/ac "Gekko"
/ac "Jinpu"
/ac "Hakaze"

/micon "Yukikaze"
/ac "Yukikaze"
/ac "Jinpu"

/micon "Mangetsu"
/ac "Mangetsu"
/ac "Fuga"

/micon "Oka"
/ac "Oka"
/ac "Fuga"

which would ultimately save me up to 4 slots within my first set!

this would certainly fix the issue in terms of classes that have combos, but as you have already mentioned, other classes that barely have combos need to find its own solution.

Honestly Sam is a million miles from bloated.. as it stands I basically use like 1 xhb and half the expanded one..

sets 1 and 2 are almost identical the only difference is ive put my aoes where my disengage combo and gap close are.. and set 4 is my expanded bar exactly the same on both sides.

i basically never have to press r1 or change sets ever once a fight starts... hell most of the time i never even need to let go of r2 on a boss fight.. (save for a third eye proc for seigan)

it's really not a bloated job at all..

i have all my jobs set up on 2 hotbars + the expanded one. and on nearly all of them half of set 1 and set 2 are exactly the same. deliberately done to minimise button presses and trigger swaps.. even on my paladin.

empty box there for random role skills i might need. interject reprisal etc

i can play most of my jobs and hardly ever have to change to a different hotbar set because the bloat really isn't that bad... in 70 content i might open on set 2 do a halone combo to start then go to set one and never change sets for the rest of the fight....